DIAMOND CUT DIAMOND. 259 



nowhere. I may say here that little Bevis, quite a 

 pony, was the worst goer I ever saw. When he 

 cantered up the course before the race, a well-known 

 horse-dealer laughed at the exhibition he made, and 

 said it was a pity such a horse should be brought to 

 the meeting, much less allowed to run ; an opinion of 

 which I reminded him afterwards, when he still said 

 he could not understand how a horse with such 

 action could win. 



There is a good and true story to be told of a 

 match that Mr. Swindell made with the baronet. 

 Just before the time appointed for it, Sir Joseph's 

 horse was taken ill and could do no work, although 

 he was on the spot. This information was no doubt 

 supplied to Swindell by his touts. But his own 

 horse was in a much worse plight, not being able to 

 leave the stable at all. Thinking Sir Joseph would 

 never run his horse in such a state of health, or rather 

 illness, he ordered his trainer, Mr. William Treen, of 

 Beckhampton, to bring another horse of his that was 

 something of the same colour, and to say nothing to 

 anyone as to what it was, or its age, and not to satisfy 

 anv inquiry as to what he was intended to run for. 

 This had the desired effect, and it was immediately 

 concluded by the touts — those astonishing judges of 

 horse-flesh — that the real Simon Pure had come up 

 for the match, and the unwelcome news was forth- 

 with conveyed to the baronet by the men employed 

 for the purpose. The match was for £200 a side, 



17—2 



